For the second time in five years, the United States Court of
Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has upheld a state's regulatory
efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation
fuels. On September 7, 2018, a divided Ninth Circuit panel affirmed
the United States District Court for the District of Oregon's
dismissal of industry groups' lawsuit challenging Oregon's
Clean Fuels Program ("Program"). Am. Fuel &
Petrochemical Mfrs. v. O'Keeffe, 903 F.3d 903 (9th Cir.
2018).
The Oregon legislature created the Program in 2009, after
finding that global warming posed a serious threat to Oregon's
economic well-being, public health, natural resources, and
environment. The Program is designed to reduce the average amount
of greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels produced in
or imported into Oregon to at least 10 percent lower than 2010
levels by 2025.